The Voice
by ZmajGoddess
Summary: Duo's life is crumbling...everything he thought he had is lost. Even the vacation his friends try to take him on becomes a nightmare. Yet to those who listen with their hearts... they can hear the Voice on the wind.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or the G-boys... wish I did. Sadly I don't. I still only have ravenous blood-sucking dust bunnies...so I wouldn't recommend sueing.

All reviews are welcome. However, flames will be laughed at. If you don't like my work, thats fine... then give me an honest critique. If you're just going to tell me how lousy it is... just go away and don't bother.

**The Voice**

Duo watched as the trees slide by in a blur of brown and green; the sun was beginning to set, soon night would wrap the world in it's dark embrace. He stiffled a sigh as his thoughts drifted to space, and all that had happened there. Now, 15 years after the Mariemia incident, he and his fellow piolets were retired; yet still the wars haunted him. Not only did the horrors of the wars invade his dreams; but now...now a certain cobolt eyed stranger did as well. More so now then ever before. That same colbolt eyed stranger was sitting behind him; his presence like a hot poker down his back.

During the wars, Heero and he had grown very close; then after the Eve wars their partnership has progressed to the next level. The once quiet, stoic Yuy had lightened up and learned to laugh. At times he could be down right goofy around the right people. After two years of being together; two years of living and loving in a whirlwind of romance; Yuy and him decided to tie the knot. Nothing fancy, no extravegant wedding... just a simply little ceremony. Life was good...

Until four months ago.

Heero had worked for Preventors; a high risk but well paying job that required him to be away from the house and Duo for long periods of time. It was hard to be away from his lover; but the money was good and it normally wasn't more then a week at a time. Then, over the Easter weekend, he had to leave. It was suppose to be a simple assignment. Two days max. Then, that two days became two weeks. Next thing he knew; Heero had to leave immediatly for another job, and another. Only stopping in long enough to get clothes and perhaps a quickie from Duo.

After a month of being away; suspicion began to creep into Duo's mind. All through the wars and after, he had felt a connection to Heero. He felt secure in his love and affection. No matter where the other man was; Duo could sense him and feel his love. Now... now suddenly that connection was weak... nearly not existant. He wasn't sure when it happened or how but if felt like suddenly Heero was no longer there.

Then, Heero's checks started to mess up. Suddenly he wasn't even getting half of what he was suppose to; especially for all the overtime and holiday pay he was suppose to be getting. When Duo asked him about it; Heero simply shrugged and told him that there had been a payroll glitch and it would be on the next check. Duo had blinked at that. Normally a company would fix such a gross over sight in a day or two...but two weeks? It was a good thing that Duo had syphoned quite a bit of funds from OZ and the Alliance over the years and put it aside in a special emergency account.

Still, as odd as that sounded; Duo took Heero at his word. The other had never lied to him before...

Then it happened again...and again. It happened four times in four monthes. Heero tried to claim that his account had been hacked, or his debit card has been stolen. Duo felt his suspicion wreched up. Someone STOLE Heero fucking Yuy's card and hacked his account...and he hadn't DONE anything about it? Bullshit. Then to make matters worse; Wufei would call Duo and ask him where Heero was... they worked together. How the hell did Wufei NOT know where Heero was? The chinese man never said anything directly; always dancing around the subject. He had his teeth locked around something but couldn't bring himself to say it straight out. Heero and him were partners; and if nothing else, the chinese man was loyal. Still, Duo could see the conflict in his dark eyes. He had something he wanted to tell Duo; he just couldn't betray Heero.

It was enough to force Duo's hand. For a week he had tried to contact Heero and had only recieved sporatic messages from his spouse. So, Duo did what any self respecting ex-terrorist would do when he was suspicious of his husbands actions. He hacked Heero's accounts, his e-mail, phone records his social networking sites...everything.

And there...in glaring black and white... was the proof. He had suspected... had known deep in his heart... but hadn't wanted to believe it. His husband...Heero... the Perfect Solider... ex-terroritst...savior of the world twice over... was fucking cheating on him. It wasn't even with Relena either... Duo could almost have understood and excused that. He had always known that Heero and Relena had a special connection as well. He could have accepted that Heero had gone to her... but no... this was some barely eighteen bleach blonde wanna-be barbie. A girl half his age. Duo had been caught between cripling pain and a fury like he had never experienced before. Then to make matters worse... the latest transactions on his bank account were from Earth; there was hotel rooms, and tickets to amusement parks, and all the other things that Duo and Heero had talked about doing on vacation when he took some time off. Vacation. The bastard had gone and taken his vacation with someone else!

Duo even went as far as to call Commander Une and ask her about Heero; playing the worried spouse. Une was surprised; to Duo's horror the Commander told him that she had thought they were seperated. That for the last month Yuy had told everyone that they had been seperated; and the blonde girl had been picking him up from work.

Duo felt something break in his chest as Une spoke; suddenly the last year fell away to reveal a mountain of lies Heero had told. As he had hung up with Une; Quatre had called; his space heart having sensed Duo's blinding pain. Duo told him everything; sobbing brokenly to his friend. News had spread fast as bad news tends to do. At first; everyone seemed to be on Duo's side. They were all very supportive and understanding.

Then... there was a shift. Duo wasn't sure when it happened. Or why. Recently he suspected. He had agreed to come on this mini vacation on Earth with Quatre, Trowa, Wufei and even Relena... Then suddenly, Heero was there too. Quatre, Trowa and even Relena were all giving Duo odd looks that verged on hostile. When he spoke to them, their voices were clipped and words monosyllable. Duo didn't know what the hell had happened; but if he had known that Yuy would be on this little vacation too... he would never have fucking come.

He still couldn't figure out why his friends would include Heero... especially since they knew how hard it would be for Duo. Just seeing him again was like someone was trying to carve his heart out with a spoon. Duo closed his eyes as the familar wave of pain crashed over him. He shoved the annoying emotion down, shoved it into a box in the back of his mind and slammed the lid and locked it. It wouldn't do for him to alert Quatre to the fact that he was upset. The young mans spaceheart could be such an annoyance at times. He had never wanted his friends to choose between Heero and him; he knew that they were Heero's friends as much as they were Duo's... but still. It would have been nice for a bit of warning. The vacation had gone from being an exciting change of pace... to an awkward painful nightmare.

They arrived at the camp ground a little after nightfall. They were right on the edge of the river, overlooking the water. They had been to this vacation spot once before a few years back; a nice peaceful place along the Illinios river in Tahlequah Oklahoma. They pitched the tents by the light of the Tahoe's headlights. Duo didn't speak; simply going through the motions of setting up one tent with Wufei, while Heero and Quatre growled and snarled at each other over the other tent. Duo shook his head; he couldn't understand how two people who could plan out how to destroy a base and plan for any contingency, who could master the ZERO system... where having trouble pitching a freaking tent?

Perhaps it was the fact that he had lived out on the street for most of his life; having a tent was a godsend. Or perhaps it was just because he was one of those people who once he did an action once, he could repeat it over and over again. Heero and Quatre both had photographic memories... Duo on the other hand could only remember by doing. If he took it apart, he could put it back together. In any case, he had his tent up and ready, with the rain shields in place before Quartre and Heero even had theirs half way up.

He tossed his stuff in and started airing up the air mattress. After what seemed like hours Heero and Quatre finished. A fire was set up and lite... then we sat around the campfire. To say the atmoshpere was TENSE was an understatement. Duo was systematically ignored by everyone. When he tried to make conversation... when he tried to comment... anything... his 'friends' would fall silent and just look at him.

It didn't take him long to get the hint. He wasn't wanted. He didn't know why the hell they had invited him if they were going to fucking act like that. It wasn't like HE did anything wrong.

Annoyed and hurt... Duo stormed away from camp.

_I hear your voice on the wind _

_And I hear you call out my name_

Duo moved silently through the dark forest; his heart heavy. Still he kept the emotion tightly under lock and key. He had learned a long time ago to shield from Quatre's ability; though every now and then his control slipped. He came to a stop as a wave of crippling pain washed over him; tears pricked his vision and a scream built in his throat. Suddenly a cool breeze slide through the forest, rustling the leaves. Determined to not cried, he forced himself to listen to the whisper of the trees...to concentrate on something other then his pain.

_"Listen, my child," you say to me "I am the voice of your history _

_Be not afraid, come follow me _

_Answer my call, and I'll set you free"_

Thunder rolled overhead and the scent of rain suddenly filled his head. A sense of peace decended on him; washing away the pain and sadness. He listened to the forest around him, revealing in the scents and sounds. He loved the Earth from the moment he set foor upon her soil he had felt a connection to it. He leaned down and stripped off his boots and socks. It probably wasn't wise to be walking around the woods at night bare foot; but he had this sudden undenable urge to connect with the world around him.

_I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain _

_I am the voice of your hunger and pain I_

_ am the voice that always is calling you _

_I am the voice, I will remain_

He moved though the forest more slowly now falling back on skills ingrained in him from years of living on the street. Back on L2 he had to be always aware of his surroundings, even something as simple as a subtle shift in the air could mean the difference between life and death. Memories long since buried floated to the surface... Solo smiling at him; his friend, mentor, brother encouraging him to use his own brand of gift. From a young age Duo had always been able to sense the subtle energies of the world around him. It was because of this ability that he eventually got the name Shinigami. He could sense death, could see the phatom moving through the world like a spector. He smiled to himself as his mind drifted back... he not only could SEE the spector of Death. He had actually met one of the bloody bastards once. He was just a child then, right after the Maxwell Church incident, he had knelt over the broken body of Sister Helen when he sensed the spector. With all the smoke and tears; he couldn't see the creature... but he could FEEL it in the slight displacment of air. He felt the cold touch along his cheek; _cry not_, the wind seemed to whisper, _I will take care of her my son_.

_I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone _

_The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow _

_Ne'er do I sleep thoughout all the cold winter long _

_I am the force that in springtime will grow_

A similar peace had decended on him then as did now. As he let the ancient energy of the forest and mountains sink into him he felt something crack and unfurl inside. All through the war he had called himself Shinigami...the God of Death. He had believed it in the deepest part of his soul. Touched by Death, he could see the energy of those around him and he had a knack for reading it. After the wars though, he had distanced himself from that part of himself. Yuy had wanted nothing more then to be normal and forget their past. Duo had followed his lead, loving him beyond measure; he had shoved everything down deep into his being and locked it tight.

_I am the voice of the past that will always be _

_Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields _

_I am the voice of the future, bring me your peace _

_Bring me your peace, and my wounds, they will heal_

Now, in the presence of the spirits of the trees and over looked by the ancient mountains... he felt that long dormant part of him unfurl and awake once more. It was time to stop pretending that he was something he was not. He was Duo Maxwell...street rat, theif, hacker, mechanic, ex-Gundam pilot, a former terrorist... He was Shinigami. It was time to stop trying to hide who and what he was.

_I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain _

_I am the voice of your hunger and pain _

_I am the voice that always is calling you _

_I am the voice_

Duo opened his eyes and once again saw the soft glow of all the living things around him. Tentativily he reached out and brushed his fingers along the edge of the soft light coming from around one of the trees. He could feel the age of the tree, the struggles it had had, the things it had survived. He could feel its life pulse against his hand; and with a strange certainty...he knew that he could help it grow...or snuff it out. He let his senses flow outward; he could feet every step a family of deer took off to his right, the scampering of the field mouse near his feet as it moved through the leaves. He could sense every clever paw movement of the raccoons hunting on the river bank and feel the snake glide across the water surface.

_I am the voice of the past that will always be _

_I am the voice of your hunger and pain _

_I am the voice of the future _

_I am the voice, I am the voice _

_I am the voice, I am the voice_

Once again he felt the cool touch across his face, same as he did all those years ago...and heard the soft whisper of the wind..._I am your past, your present, and your future; I am life and death...I am darkness and light. Welcome home my child, you are never alone._..He smiled for the first time in several weeks as he lost himself in the pulse of the Earth around him; letting the Mother's energy flow through him washing away all of his pain and loneliness.

Authors Note: Ok I have no idea where this came from. It has been banging around in my head all day. I actually have another chapter written that I may type up and post later. Let me know what you think...

On a side note... for those who are still waiting for chapters for my other works... they've been put on hiatis... my muse for those stories left... and another has yet to replace her. In other words... I life got in the way and I completely forgot where I was going with those stories. One day I might pick them up again..

Anyway; please let me know what you think of this fic... I know it's odd.

~Nyx


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or the G-boys... wish I did. Sadly I don't. I still only have ravenous blood-sucking dust bunnies...so I wouldn't recommend sueing.

All reviews are welcome. However, flames will be laughed at. If you don't like my work, thats fine... then give me an honest critique. If you're just going to tell me how lousy it is... just go away and don't bother.

the voice chapter 2

_"O Fortuna velut Luna" ["O Fortune like the Moon"]_

_Turn around and smell what you don't see_  
_Close your eyes ... it is so clear_  
_Here's the mirror, behind there is a screen_  
_On both ways you can get in._  
_Don't think twice before you listen to your heart,_  
_Follow the trace for a new start._  
_What you need and everything you'll feel_  
_Is just a question of the deal._  
_In the eye of storm you'll see a lonely dove_  
_The experience of survival is the key_  
_To the gravity of love._

Wufei woke the next morning alone in the tent. Duo's mattress lay untouched across from him. He scowled at the pristine layout. Where the hell had Duo gotten to? When Wufei had returned from getting his shower the night before; Duo had already been gone. It wasn't really surprising since the tension could be cut with a knife. He had tried to stay up and wait for the other man... but it had been a long flight to Earth from the colonies and a long ride from Quatre's mansion to the campgrounds and sleep caught up with him.

He had asked Trowa were the braided man had gone; he got an unconcerned shrug for his troubles.

"A walk" Relena had supplied, waving her hand out in a vague wooded area to the south. Was he the only one concerned with the fact that Duo hadn't come back to camp the night before? He and Duo had never been what you call 'best friends', but they were friends. The bonds that they had forged in the flames of war had remained strong...least until now. Yuy's infidelity had apparently caused a rift in their group. What the hell was Yuy doing here anyway? He'd been told this trip was to take Duo's mind off everything... to cheer him up. What the hell was going on?

Wufei wasn't a stupid man and despite the jet lag from traveling; he wasn t oblivious to the dark looks the others had been giving Duo. Everyone was being down right cold to him.

Irritated and more than a little worried; Wufei climbed out of his tent. He glanced around; no sign of the braided man anywhere. Quatre and Relena talked quietly by the still smoking campfire. Wufei stalked over to them;

"Have either of you seen Duo this morning?" he asked, "I don't think he every came back last night."

"Probably still sulking," Relena replied with a shrug. Wufei narrowed his eyes at the Former Queen of the World; she and Duo had never seen eye to eye...but still...

"What the hell is going on here?" Wufei demanded, turning his glare on the one person of all of them who should KNOW better. Quatre looked up at Wufei and shrugged a shoulder;

"Well, you know Duo can sometimes be flakey, Wufei;" he replied, "Remember all that 'God of Death' stuff back during the wars?"

Wufei closed his eyes and fought his temper back down. Of all people Quatre knew good and well why Duo had called himself Shinigami during the war. Hell, they had all seen the odd change that would come over the braided teen when his other persona took over. Had Quatre suddenly forgotten that? Or had he simply rationalized it over the years?

"Quatre, what's going on?" Wufei asked again, "When you called me two weeks ago... you told me this trip was to take Duo's mind off everything. To cheer him up. I fly all the way down here on that pretense... only to find out that for some reason you all are treating Duo like crap and HEERO, of all bloody people, is joining us?" He starred at the blonde man, "Why are you all acting like it was Duo's fault? Why the hell is Yuy even here?"

"Heero deserves a vacation too..." Relena replied, defending the other man. Wufei looked at her and was once again reminded of why he always hoped that Yuy would come to his senses and kill the girl back during the wars.

"No, he doesn't;" Wufei said, startling the two blondes; "He took his vacation already... with HER remember? This was supposed to be Duo's trip. He's the victim here; have you forgotten that?"  
"Wufei," Relena said calmly, speaking like she would to a small child, "Duo didn't give us the whole story. Heero came to me after Duo did his snooping. There was no other girl."

"He was undercover," Quatre added, "He had to make it look like he was with someone else. Otherwise someone might have traced him back to Duo. Duo just let his insecurities get the better of him. I mean, he never did ask Heero for his side..."

"Hm...Interesting story;" Wufei replied, crossing his arms, "And you...believe...that crap?"

"Wufei she was just another agent acting like his girlfriend." Relena supplied. Wufei shook his head.

"No she wasn't, she doesn't work for the Preventers. Heero wasn't even on a mission." He corrected, then turned and glared at Quatre, "And where the hell have you been? Are you so disconnected from everything since heading Winner Corp that you lost use of your gift? Duo never had any in securities when it came to Heero's affections. He trusted Heero completely. That s why this is such a blow for him."

"Well, then the girl was a civilian hired to help Heero..." Wufei slashed his hand through the air, cutting off her words.

_The path of excess leads to the tower of Wisdom_  
_The path of excess leads to the tower of Wisdom_

_Try to think about it..._  
_That's the chance to live your life and discover_  
_What it is, what's the gravity of love_

"What part of THERE WAS NO MISSION don't you understand?" Wufei snapped, "I checked with Une; so did Duo, there was no mission. Heero was free to go home. He hasn't been assigned a mission in over a month. In fact; I personally heard Heero tell several of our co-workers that he had Duo were split and had been for a month."

Wufei shook his head and gave both the blondes disappointed looks. Relena bristled; still trying in vain to defend Yuy.

"Ok, so maybe Heero wasn't as forth right as he could have been... but Duo shoulda..."

Once again Wufei cut her off; "Duo did everything he was suppose to. He didn't do a damn thing wrong. All he did was trust his husband. I saw the way they interacted... Yuy had a good thing. Duo LOVED him. Unconditionally."

"Wufei... we're not choosing Heero over Duo..." Quatre said, once more the Chinese man cut him off.

"Yes Quatre, you did;" Wufei said, "Don't you see that s exactly what you did. Duo would never expect you to choose him over anything. He certainly wouldn't expect you to hate Yuy. All Duo did was find out that his husband had been lying and cheating on him. He didn't go and tell everyone; he told a total of three people. Une, Quatre and me... that s it. The rumors started not because of Duo; but because Heero didn't care who the hell knew. He wasn't subtle. Duo hasn't spoken to anyone other than us; he hasn't even left his apartment since it he found out." Wufei let a little of his exasperation slip out, "C'mon Quatre, remember how hard it was to even get Duo to agree to come with us... you said yourself that you had to practically beg him. Then when he does show up...you treat him like shit. Now he's gone...and you don't care that he hasn't come back? Fucking A; Quatre... he was already depressed...and his friends have turned on him? What in the hell were you thinking?" He glared at the blonde man, who had the good grace to look properly chastised. But Wufei wasn't done; "I expect this sort of behavior from Relena... her and Duo never got along. But you...you're supposed to be one of his best friends."

Wufei took a deep breath and forced himself not to reach across the fire and strangle the insensitive fool in front of him.

"Duo has always been there for us when we needed him. And I'll be damned if I dishonor his friendship by not being there for him when he needs me. You want to sit here roasting s'mores and singing kumbayaa... fine. I'm going to go find Duo."

Then Wufei turned on his heel and stalked away from camp; physically shoved past Yuy and Trowa as they came back into the camp. He hoped he would even be able to find his friend. Duo was a master at blending in, of disappearing in plain sight. He was more than capable of taking care of himself; even alone in the forest. Yet, those thoughts didn't ease the worry in Wufei's gut. He had to make sure Duo was ok; even if his worry made him look like an idiot later on. He'd gladly accept the braided mans laughter as long as he knew the other was ok.

It wasn't long before Wufei heard footsteps behind him. He smiled; it was a small victory. He still didn't understand why the others were being idiots; but at least they were helping him look now.

"Last time we were here;" Heero's soft baritone said from behind him, "He found a little rocky cove not too far away, he loved the spot. He might have gone there..."

Wufei headed off in the direction that Heero pointed; the other man fell into step beside him.

"It was never my intention to hurt Duo," Heero said softly, glancing at Wufei from under his bangs. You'd think in fifteen years the fool would have learned to trim his hair.

"What do you think would happen Yuy?" Wufei snapped, "You know good and well what would happen. And you know how he feels 'bout lying."

"I know," Heero replied softly, "This isn't how I intending things to turn out."

"Pray tell Yuy," Wufei drawled, "How did you envision this turning out? You really think Duo wouldn't have noticed? That he wouldn't find out? Shit...you're either very arrogant or very stupid to have under estimated your partner."

"I know..." Heero replied, watching the ground, "I just...lost my way... I got in too deep and couldn't get out..."

Wufei glared at the other man; if only looks could kill, the former 01 pilot would have spontaneously combust.

"Bullshit," Wufei snarled in a harsh whisper, "It's been four months. At any time you could have gone home. Hell at any time you could have confessed to Duo and he would have forgiven you. Or you could simply have told him you had found someone else. He would have been hurt and sad...but he would have let you go. He wouldn't have kept you in a relationship you didn't want. You CHOSE to sneak around behind his back. You CHOSE to lie to him. You CHOSE to betray his trust. He loved you when the rest of the world wanted you dead. And you betrayed him. You have no honor Yuy. So don't come to me with that bullshit about getting in too deep. I'm not that fucking gullible."

Wufei stalked off leaving a stunned Yuy in his wake. Wufei would never understood Heero. The fool had everything a man could want. He had someone who loved him fiercely and unconditionally; he had a nice apartment...a good job... and he threw it all away for some little girl? Wufei would kill to have what Heero had. Duo went out of his way to make the other man happy; he would have walked through the fires of Hell and taken on the Devil himself for Heero.

_"O Fortuna velut Luna"_

_Look around just people, can you hear their voice_  
_Find the one who'll guide you to the limits of your choice._  
_But if you're in the eye of storm_  
_Just think of the lonely dove_  
_The experience of survival is the key_  
_To the gravity of love._

_"O Fortuna velut Luna"_  
_"O Fortuna velut Luna"_

Duo had changed so much since the wars. It was like he had tried to bury everything he once was. He had calmed down, mellowed out, become a homebody; he world had narrowed down to his husband and being a 'normal' couple. Wufei, however, knew that lurking under this calm facade Duo had build Shinigami still lurked. The God of Death was just dormant now. Wufei knew from personal experience that you could never banish your demons completely. You could only put them to sleep for a bit; but they were never really gone.

AS they neared the cove Heero had described; there was a subtle shift in the atmosphere of the forest. Suddenly the trees seemed to loom larger, the shadows grow darker, the underbrush thicker. Branches tugged at their clothes; clawing at them. Roots and vines seemed to rise up to trip them. A hush fell throughout the forest.

This was a sacred place; Wufei thought, and ancient and sacred place.

Finally the forest cleared and before them was a quiet little beach with white sand. So out of place from the rest of the river bank. Here the sun shone brightly and made the sand glitter like diamonds.

"He's around here somewhere," Yuy said, "Spread out and look for him."

Wufei scowled but didn't have a better idea; so he did as the other man suggested.

A dark figure watched from the shadows as the small group of five split up and began searching the area. He moved silently along the branch beneath him lightly jumping to another when that one ran out. He followed the Perfect Solider and the Dragon as they weaved through the underbrush.

He suppressed a snort; the Perfect Solider wasn't such anymore. He couldn't even feel Death stalking him. The Dragon on the other hand... he sensed him. The Chinese man kept glancing over his shoulder, hand inching towards the knives hidden on his person.

He smiled and moved ahead; leaping silently to the ground. He turned and watched as his old friend moved closer. He had to admire the way the man moved; every bit a predator as any wild creature of the wood.

The soft sigh of scales over bark made him glance to his right. A dark muddy serpentine body glided over his hand where it touched the tree trunk. He smiled at the serpent and whispered to it as it moved along his arm to settle around his neck; soaking up the heat collected there.

Absently he stroked the smooth body, admiring the slender strength hidden there.

He turned his attention back to the dark haired man less than ten feet from him. Time to let his presence known.

Second Chapter... actually I had to break it up into another otherwise this chapter was just to damn long. And this little story is turning out far longer then I originally intended. But...as long as the Muse is still singing to me, I'll write what she inspires.

Song is Enigma's Gravity of Love.

The song choices might be a bit odd; but they're what I was listening to when I was writing.

Hope ya'll enjoy

~Nyx


	3. Chapter 3

the voice chapter 3

_I am a creature of the wood,_  
_forsaken in my solitude_  
_My song is pleasure and is pain,_  
_my song can drive a man insane_  
_So come with me, my pipes I'll play,_  
_and we will dance 'till break of day_  
_I shall be thy lover_

Wufei moved through the ever darkening under growth; his hand absently toyed with the knife at his belt. He was being watched; he could feel it. Whatever it was, was giving him a severe case of the hibbee-jibbee's as Duo would say.

A soft sound behind him caused him to whirl; knife sailing through the air before his mind registered who had startled him. His eyes widened and he had a split second to think NO; before the blade was plucked effortless from the air by long slender fingers.

"Just a bit twitchy, ain't we 'Fei;" Duo said, his voice a soft caress.

"D-Duo..." Wufei stammered, heart still pounding; Duo looked up at him through his bangs. Dark violet eyes seemed to glow with amethyst fire. Wufei didn't move as a chill worked its way down his spine; that wasn't Duo starring back at him. It had been years since he had seen this particular being...

"Shinigami..."

The God of Death smiled at him; some of the chill leaving the area.

_I've been alive since time began,_  
_not beast, not god, and yet not man_  
_I am the music and the dance,_  
_I am the piper who enchants_  
_So loose all ties to mortal kind,_  
_my pipes shall play within thy mind_  
_I shall be thy lover_

"Hello Wufei," He said, "You were looking for someone?"

Wufei shivered as that voice seemed to slide over his skin like velvet; it didn't seem possible, but Wufei believed that Duo's alter ego had gotten more powerful in his extended sleep.

"I got worried when you didn't come back to the camp last night;" Wufei replied, shaking off the effects of Shinigami's presence and moving closer to his old friend.

Shinigami laughed softly; "Really? You honestly think something would hurt us way out here?"

Wufei shrugged, "I still worried."

Shinigami's eyes softened a bit, losing some of their menacing glow; he slung his arm around Wufei's shoulders.

_Come unto me my beauteous maid,_  
_I'll lead thee to the hidden glade_  
_Thou shalt be happy and be free,_  
_when I play, thou wilt dance for me_  
_We'll feast on fruit fresh from the vine,_  
_and I will sample the fruit of thine_  
_I shall be thy love_

"You're a good friend 'Fei," he said, smiling a bright sunny Duo smile, "Though you shouldn't worry so much. We've survived much worse than this. One way or another, we always survive."

Wufei smiled, "True, very true." he agreed.

Suddenly a shout came from behind them and they could hear several people moved through the trees toward them.

"Damn," he snorted, "We've been spotted."

"Duo! Thank goodness, Quatre ran up to his long haired friend and gave him a big hug. "Duo I'm so sorry. I've been such a jerk."

Duo blinked at his angelic-looking friend then smiled. For all he looked like an angel with his pale golden hair and big aqua eyes; Quatre was anything but. He had a mean streak in him, a ruthlessness that would occasionally raise its ugly head, sometimes without any real reason. He did after all destroy how many colonies during the wars?

"It's alright Quatre," Duo said softly, hugging the man back, "You're not perfect, no matter what Trowa says."

Quatre snickered and Trowa rolled his eyes and pulled his husband off Duo; only to have the other blonde in the group replace him.

"I'm sorry Duo," Relena muttered against his neck; "I was just making excuses for him... it was easier to blame you then to think that he...lied."

Duo hugged Relena and gently pushed her back; blue eyes were swimming in unshed tears.

"Don't cry Lena," He replied, "It's not that big of a deal; I know when it comes down to it, you'll always choose him. It's ok..."

"No its not," she replied, "It was petty and mean...and...I'm sorry."

Duo patted her on the shoulder. He understood her loyalty to the former 01 pilot. She would always take Heero's side, no matter what; after all love makes us all do stupid things.

_Sweet love I'll make for thee alone,_  
_and show thee sights before unknown_  
_I'll be thy master and thy friend,_  
_for I'm the gold at rainbow's end_  
_I am the beast within all men,_  
_I am the rhyme past mortal ken_  
_I shall be thy lover_

As if Duo's though conjured him; one Heero Yuy stalked through the bushes.

"I see you finally decided to come out and stop sulking," Heero growled. Duo felt his own growl forming in his throat.

"Watch it Yuy," Wufei growled in return. The two men faced off; nose to nose.

"That's enough," Duo said, his voice snapping like a whip. He walked up to the two and deliberately turned his back on Heero to face Wufei. He gently touched the other man's shoulder.

"He's not worth it, 'Fei," he said softly.

"Back off Maxwell," Yuy snarled, grabbing Duo's shoulder, "This is between Chang and..."

His hand had barely touched Duo's shoulder when there was a flash of muddy brown and pain lanced his hand.

Heero let out a yell and jerked his hand back; there were two perfectly neat puncture wounds in the flesh between his thumb and index finger. The wound leaked mixture of blood and some clear fluid.

Yuy glared at Duo; What the fuck," he snarled, compartmentalizing the pain as he made to lunge at the braided fool before him.

Duo's arm snapped up and Heero came face to face with a whitish-grey mouth and fangs. The serpent coiled in Duo's palm.

Everyone leapt backward instinctively as the snake hissed at Heero again; displaying long fangs dripping with venom.

"You should learn to be more polite, Heero," Duo said softly, "Violence isn't always needed."

"Says the man with the attack snake," came the muttered reply from behind him.

Heero stumbled backward the pain in his hand pulsing with each beat of his heart. Both Relena and Quatre rushed forward to grab Yuy.

_I've played my pipes before man's dawn,_  
_seen maidens ripe, turn pale and wan_  
_Taught man the art of song and dance,_  
_yet had to part from mortal clans_  
_I must return to silent dells,_  
_no fire burns, and nature dwells_  
_So take thy rest within the shade,_  
_and as the evening hours fade_  
_I'll take thee deeper in the glade,_  
_my cloven hooves through heather wade_  
_I'll teach thee things man has forbade,_  
_our souls entwined and unafraid_  
_I shall be thy lover_

"Oh, shit," Relena muttered, "We need to get him to a hospital."

Quatre paused for a moment to glance at Duo; as if he was unsure who to tend to first.

Duo smiled at him, full aware of how he must look with the thick muddy brown poisonous snake curling around his shoulder and neck.

"Go with him Quatre," Duo said, "Relena's gonna need help with him. You know he won't listen to her if his training kicks in."

Duo followed them out of the woods and watched as the four piled into Quatre's Tahoe and peeled out.

"Well that's lovely," Wufei said coming up to stand next to Duo, making sure to stand at least an arm length away. "What the hell are we suppose to do? We all rode up here in that damn vehicle."

Duo laughed; he turned and clapped Wufei on the shoulder; "Leave it to you to think of that."

Wufei tensed as Duo touched him; "No offense Maxwell," he said, "Don't come near me until the snake is gone."

Duo laughed and he reached up and unwound the three foot long water moccasin from his neck and hair.

"What s the matter 'Fei," Duo teased, "Don't like snakes?"

"Only the poisonous ones," Wufei snipped back.

"Well," Duo said, placing his serpentine friend gently into some brush along the forest edge. He stood and looked at Wufei;

"We still have reservations to go down the river; let s finish our weekend. I came here to have fun and I'll be damned if Yuy is going to ruin it."

Wufei grinned and shook his head. He did come down here to cheer Duo up and the thought of spending the next two days alone with a certain violet-eyed man was not at all unappealing.

"Alright Maxwell," he said with a shrug, "Whatever you wanna do..."

_I am a creature of the wood,_  
_forsaken in my solitude_  
_My song is pleasure and is pain,_  
_my song can drive a man insane_  
_So come with me, my pipes I'll play,_  
_and we will dance 'till break of day_  
_I shall be thy lover_

__Again another odd music selection... but again, these are more the songs that I was listening to when writing. Though, this has a bit more significance. When I wrote this particular part; I envisioned Duo having a bit of a fae quality to him. I've never seen the fae as tinker-bell types. All the lore I've read bout them... most Fae you wouldn't want to meet. They aren't very nice. They are cold, deadly and care very little about humans in general; but they are seductive creatures. So yea, if you can follow my odd sleep deprived logic... thats the explaination for the song.

Which is Heather Alexanders 'Creatures of the Wood'.

I hope you enjoy; odd music choices not with standing.

Review and let me know what you think.

I think I have one more chapter for thi, possibly twos that I need to write... Poor Yuy needs to suffer more; Yuy fans...I'm sorry but he's become my scapegoat who I'm going to have my evil sadistic way with instead of inflicting this suffering on the real-live person. Oh how I long for the days of the Zombie Apocolypse so that I can shoot certain people and not worry bout going to jail. Anyway, I think you'll be surprised who ends up making him suffer.

~Nyx


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or the G-boys... wish I did. Sadly I don't. I still only have ravenous blood-sucking dust bunnies...so I wouldn't recommend sueing.

All reviews are welcome. However, flames will be laughed at. If you don't like my work, thats fine... then give me an honest critique. If you're just going to tell me how lousy it is... just go away and don't bother.

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews!

I'm not really sure how this chapter came about; I guess my muse wanted a bit of a twist. I hope that ya'll enjoy it and don't shoot me.

So without further ado...

the voice

chapter 4

Relena watched silently as her live in boyfriend printed off his boarding passes.

"The conference is tomorrow," she said softly, "Isn't there some way that you can postpone this meeting until then? I'd really like for you to come to the conference with me. There's been a lot of turmoil in that part of the colonies and it would make me feel better if you were there keeping an eye out. You always made me feel safer."

Cobalt blue eyes flicked toward her with annoyance then back to the computer screen.

"I already told you, Relena," he stated in his normal monotone; "I can't reschedule, please stop whining about it."

Relena clenched her teeth and tried to find her inner calm. Whining was she?

"Fine," she replied plastering on a soft naïve smile, "I'll join you on Earth after the conference is over. We can spend the weekend together then go back to work on Monday. How's that?"

"Hn…" He replied as he snapped his laptop closed and strolled out of the room. Relena followed.

"Have a good trip Heero," she said kissing him on the cheek, "Call me when your flight lands. I'll see you in a couple days."

She kept the sugary-sweet tone in her voice until the limo pulled out of the drive. Then her eyes hardened. Heero was lying to her; had been for over a month. She wasn't too surprised, considering the way his relationship with Duo ended. Everyone thought she was all fluff and silliness in the head; especially after she decided to date Heero after what happened with Duo. Unfortunately, the heart wants what the heart wants… and ever since she was fifteen, her heart has always wanted Heero Yuy. As long as he had been with Duo, she had been content to love him from a distance; simply glad to call him friend and happy that he was happy. When Heero had first come to her after the break up with Duo; she had believed him, hook line and sinker. It was easier to believe his version then Duo's. Especially since Heero had never shown interest in any other person outside of Duo and herself. He was still as antisocial as ever; he barely tolerated his follow pilots much less other people. Then after the fiasco at the river, Heero had been hurt and had needed help tending to his arm. She had volunteered to take care of him and give him a place to stay; since Duo had come out of his depression blazing. Heero didn't have anything but the clothes on his back. The former 02 pilot had burned all of his possessions in a huge public bon fire; then the ever vindictive God of Death had drained every single one of Heero's bank accounts. Even the 'secret' ones.

Relena couldn't really blame him; you'd think Heero would have had enough sense to not piss off someone who used to be a terrorist for Pete's Sake. In any case; she had given Heero a place to stay, a job as her head of security, and taken care of him. Always secretly hoping that one day he would see HER and they could live happily ever after. Then, after about the second month; it finally happened. Her knight swept her off her feet, took her to her room and made love to her all night. Angels sang and everything was right in the world…

For about a month.

By that third month, Heero was starting to act odd again. Her perfect little mental picture of happily ever after with her white knight; was suddenly becoming tarnished and crumbled.

Her knight was lying to her. She knew it, could feel it. She was a politician for God's sake; she could smell a lie a mile away. Now, it was a matter of proving it.

_She, she ain't real,_  
_She ain't gonna be able to love you like I will,_  
_She is a stranger,_  
_You and I have history,_  
_Or don't you remember?_  
_Sure, she's got it all,_  
_But, baby, is that really what you want?_

Relena watched as the limo Heero had left in pulled back into the driveway. The driver got out and spotted her on the balcony; he nodded once and went back into the house. Heero had been dropped off at the airport and her driver had witnessed him entering the building. She glanced at her watch; his flight wasn't for another thirty minutes.

She sat down in front of her laptop and turned it on. She entered six different passcodes before the welcome screen greeted her. It was time to see if Mr. Yuy had STAYED at the airport. She smiled as she opened the Tracker program she had implemented way back during the wars. She doubted that the once Perfect Solider had ever realized his precious laptop had been hacked.

Admittedly, cracking the protection on that machine had taken days of intense work; but she had managed. She had honed her computer skills hacking secure network mainframes following Heero around the world. It amazed her that no one seemed to have figured out about her hacking. She thought it was pretty obvious; how else would she have been able to enroll herself in all the same school Heero did? Everyone just assumed that she had some type of informant who gave her the information during the wars. Granted, she did have informants; lots of them all over the Earth and colonies,in fact. She'd be a pretty piss poor politician if she didn't. Knowledge was power; and while Relena was technically a pacifist it didn't mean that she didn't like having the upper hand. Negotiations always went so much better when you had inside information and knew what all the cards the other players were holding. While she did have many informants; when it came to 'stalking Heero', as Duo referred to it, Relena reserved that task for herself.

It didn't take long for the program to initiate and a little blip appear on the screen. Surprise, surprise… Heero was still at the airport. She tapped one long nail against the table as she thought. She had checked with the security company Heero was suppose to be meeting with; or rather she had helped herself to a look at the directors online datebook… the man kept meticulous records of who he was meeting and when… but there had been no mention of a meeting with Heero.

It took Relena an abysmally short amount of time to access the airports security footage. Time to see if her knight was alone. She knew what terminal and gate his flight was leaving from; she had paid for the tickets after all. She pulled up the feed for the gate she was looking for. It didn't take her long to do the 'Where's Waldo', and pinpoint a certain messy haired Asian. The bright green tank top was a dead giveaway. And wouldn't you know it… he was cozying up to the same bleached blonde Barbie from before.

"You fucking bastard," Relena growled under her breath as memories of laying in bed with Heero as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear and made love to her, the night before played across her mind.

She's seen it as making love.

Apparently he saw it as scratching an itch until he could get back to his little Barbie-wanna-be.

She had been used…and discarded without even a second thought. After all the crap they had gone through together. After everything she had done for his sorry ass over the years. After all the hours spent worrying and praying over his bedside; bargaining with God that if he should let Heero live, she would dedicate her life to peace…

_Bless your soul, you've got your head in the clouds,_  
_She made a fool out of you,_  
_And, boy, she's bringing you down,_  
_She made your heart melt,_  
_But you're cold to the core,_  
_Now rumour has it she ain't got your love anymore,_

She had given him everything. Everything she had… and he simply had used what she offered and tossed it aside.

She pushed away from her laptop before she gave into temptation and threw the offending thing out the window. As it was she grabbed the lovely ceramic rose Heero had gotten her for Christmas one year and flung it against the wall; taking a great deal of pleasure in watching it explode into a zillion different pieces.

The door opened a moment later, "Relena? Are you alright?"

She barely suppressed the snarl as the last two people in the world she wanted to speak to walked through her bloody office door. Didn't surprise her that her Preventer's escorts had arrived already; she was due to leave for her conference in a few hours. But of all the people for them to send; Une just HAD to send THEM.

She smiled sweetly, pulling her politicians mask on before she turned around; "Yes, of course," she lied, "just a little mishap. Nothing to concern yourself with, Wufei."

"Uh huh," came his partner's sarcastic reply. After the incident at the river; Duo had replaced Heero as Wufei's partner at Preventer's. The two were inseparable. It was clear to anyone who bothered to look that Wufei was slowly healing the wounds Heero had made in Duo's heart.

"That ceramic rose just 'happened' to launch itself across the room at the wall, hm?"

Relena glared at the violet-eyed man; should have known better to try to lie to him. Duo was just as adept at detecting lies as any politician; even more so now. It was uncanny sometimes; like trying to have a conversation with Quatre. No matter how sweet, innocent and kind they appeared; there was always that little hint of madness lurking in their eyes. And they always, always, always KNEW; secrets were a foreign concept around them.

"Ok fine," she growled, "Perhaps I lost my temper a bit and took it out on the decorations."

Duo and Wufei exchanged knowing glances. "And what caused this lapse in temper?" Wufei asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Relena shook her head and moved back out to the balcony. Would it be possible for her to survive a jump from the second story balcony without breaking anything? At the moment she was giving it a lot of consideration if it meant getting away from those knowing looks.

"Don't worry about it;" She replied, "It isn't anything you need to worry about."

_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_

She felt them come up behind her and pale muscular arms wrapped around her.

"I'm sorry Lena," Duo said softly into her hair, "He's an ass"

Relena felt the starch go out of her spine and reached up to wrap her hand around those clasped over her chest. She felt the calm mask she had erected begin to crumble.

She took a shuttering breath as she fought back tears. The hope she had held onto for half her life dissolved.

"I should have known better," she whispered, "Especially after what happened with you… I should have known. But…I'd hoped…"

"Hope is such a bitch of a demon, isn't it?" Duo said softly; Relena's breath hitched as the oddness of the statement startled a giggle out of her.

"Yea." She agreed. That giggle seemed to release the damn and she choked on a sob. Duo turned her around and pulled her into a hug as she started to sob in earnest. She was vaguely aware of another pair of arms wrapping around her.

Sometime later Relena found herself; laying in bed, warm and cozy. Her head was pillowed on something that rose rhythmically with each breath and the scent of pine forest filled her head.

Wait… breath?

Relena tensed and her tired mind suddenly leapt into overdrive. She glanced around; it was dark out. The clock across the room read 8:30pm. Nearly four hours had elapsed since her mini breakdown. Very slowly she propped herself up on her arm and looked around; a blush spread across her face and her heart did and odd flip flop in her chest at what she saw.

Her head had been pillowed on one Duo Maxwell's chest; his arm wrapped around her and the man behind her. She blinked again; Wufei was curled up around her as well, his nose was practically buried in her hair and one arm was wrapped tightly around her waist.

Dear Gods Above… she was sandwiched between two men. Two…HOT…men. She wasn't sure if she should leap out of bed in a mass of righteous female indignation and embarrassment... or snuggle back down and go back to sleep.

The second option was sounding better and better to her suddenly lecherous mind. How many chances would she have to sleep cuddled between two ex-Gundam pilots and class A hotties?

Decisions decisions…whats a girl to do?

Relena propped her head on her hand and looked at a sleeping Duo. The man looked several years younger and more fae-like in his sleep; so peaceful, innocent and enchanting. The moonlight gently caressed his face; giving his skin a pale glow. How the hell had Heero ever walked away from him? She shook her head. Heero was an idiot. The scent of pine forest and evergreen filled her head and an odd sense of peace settled over her as she snuggled back down between the two men. Might as well enjoy it while it lasted; She'd worry about the consequences, and the conference, tomorrow.

_She, is half your age,_  
_But I'm guessing that's the reason that you strayed,_  
_I heard you've been missing me,_  
_You've been telling people things you shouldn't be,_  
_Like when we creep out and she ain't around,_  
_Haven't you heard the rumours?_

Behind her, Wufei burrowed himself closer against her back; she could feel his soft breath on the back of her neck. She tried hard not to shiver. She couldn't help it though; her neck was apparently very sensitive. She hadn't realized that until that very moment. She shifted, trying to find a position where the Chinese man wasn't breathing on her neck… but it was impossible. The man was like a damn octopus; every time she tried to shift; he'd shift too, cuddling her close like some damn teddy bear. It was unnerving and unsettling as well as strangely sexy and comforting.

Suddenly Duo shifted; turning toward her on his side. She found herself looking into laughing violet ringed amethyst eyes. The amethyst orbs seemed to glow in the dim light; she suddenly flashed back to the moment she had seen him in the forest months ago. He'd been so different then; so still and intense, leaves stuck in his hair, and that snake barely visible around his neck. A broken man had walked into those mountain woods that weekend; and the one that had come out again had an alien stillness to him that was both unsettling and intriguing.

"Can't get comfortable, Princess?" Duo said softly, the words made all the more intimate with such intense eye contact. Relena felt a blush heat her face. She opened her mouth to say something; but found herself at a loss of words.

Oh yea I'm doing great…She thought, I just woke up sandwiched between two totally hot guys who any girl in the Earthsphere would kill for; one of whom is kiss-ably close, and that's actually sounding like a really GOOD idea while the other is currently breathing on my neck using me as his personally teddy bear and it is seriously turning me on…

"N...No I'm fine," she replied, annoyed at the stutter in her voice. Duo chuckled softly; the sound was deep and velvety. Relena suppressed the urge to sigh like the silly school girl she once was.

Duo glanced behind her to Wufei; his eyes softening in affection;

"Sorry, he is a bit of a cuddlier; ain't he?" Duo said. Relena smiled,

"Only compared to an octopus maybe;"

Duo laughed; Wufei muttered something against her neck and Relena shivered.

"Cold?" Duo asked, Relena shook her head; no she was definitely NOT cold.

"No..." she replied, then when Duo opened his mouth to say something else; she blurted; "He's breathing on my neck and it's…it's…"

She paused suddenly realizing that there really was no good way to finish that sentence.

_Bless your soul, you've got your head in the clouds,_  
_You made a fool out of me,_  
_And, boy, you're bringing me down,_  
_You made my heart melt, yet I'm cold to the core,_  
_But rumour has it I'm the one you're leaving her for,_

"Is it bothering you?" Duo asked, "If you ask him to move he'll roll over."

"No...I mean...Yes… I mean…" Relena sighed, "No he's fine, it's not bothering me... it's just…uh… sensitive…there…"

"Oh…oh…Ooooh," Duo replied, eyes widening as her meaning sunk in. Then his face lit in a heart-breaking beautiful smile as he laughed; the sound rolled over her igniting every one of her nerve endings. Holy hell, Relena thought, How the hell did I miss how good looking he is? Damn… pity he 'bout as straight as a circle…I wouldn't mind taking a bite outa…

Relena cut off that train of thought immediately. Bad Relena… Bad. Bad. Bad.

Across the room her computer began to beep softly. The alarm tracking Heero flight; she had set alarms during periodic intervals of his travel. The first was set to go off an hour before he was set to enter Earth's atmosphere.

"What's that?" Duo asked, sitting up.

"My alarm," she admitted, sitting up and trying to untangle herself from one surprisingly clingy ex-pilot.

Behind her, Wufei protested her movement and wrapped his arm around her waist. Relena froze as the hand on her hip slipped beneath her shirt and started making lazy circles with his thumb. The hand began to creep higher… Relena looked at Duo with a mixture of embarrassment and horror.

"'Fei, love…" Duo said softly, grinning, "That's not me… that's Relena you're fondling."

Wufei shifted, one dark eye peeking out from behind a curtain of silky black hair.

"You're point?" Wufei muttered sleepily; "'Sides she's soft and warm and smells good… can we keep her?"

Relena felt her face flame; she could suddenly feel Duo's eyes on her. Gods Above… she didn't want to turn around and look at him.

Duo's chuckle made her head snap up despite her initial reservations. He was looking at her with a mischievous calculating gleam in his amethyst eyes.

"I think that's kinda up to her 'Fei," Duo replied, "After all, she might not want to be kept by anyone, much less by the likes of us."

"We'd take better care of her then that bastard Yuy would;" Wufei snorted from behind her as he stretched out across the bed. All of that golden skin and muscles going taunt; his shirt road up a bit giving her a tantalizing glimpse of flat hard abs.

Relena's mind shuttered to a stop as she was helpless to do anything but watch as Wufei stretched. Her hands itched to touch…

Bad, Relena… Bad. Bad. Bad.

_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_

God she hoped she wasn't drooling; but even as the thought flicked through her mind she was powerless to move.

"What is that infernal racket?" Wufei said sitting up fully and breaking the spell he'd somehow placed on her. Blushing she shook her head and leapt to her feet. Could someone really die from embarrassment? She couldn't believe she had been ogling Wufei… with Duo right there!

She hurried over to her computer to silence the alarm. She couldn't bring herself to even glance at the two men.

"What are you doing?" Duo asked as they both came to stand behind her at her desk.

"It's the alarm I set so I would know when Heero was approaching Earth's atmosphere." Relena stated; she pulled up the tracking program and pointed to the blinking dot right at the edge of a circle labeled earth. "I hid a tracking program in his computer back during the wars." She explained.

Duo and Wufei both blinked and looked at her in shock; "You did what?" Duo said bewildered, "You hid a tracking program in his…" He started laughing. "Does he know?"

Relena snorted; "Doubt it."

"How the hell did you manage to install a tracking program without him knowing?" Wufei asked, skepticism in his voice.

Relena grinned; "I hacked his computer."

Both the men gave her identical looks of shock; "You...hacked…his computer?"

Relena nodded slowly.

"Surprised?" she asked and knew that a decidedly wicked grin was twisting her face; "How the hell do you think I kept finding ya'll during the war?"

"Informants?" Duo asked, Relena laughed and shook her head.

"I have those too;" she said, "but no. I hacked his computer during that first visit after he threatened to kill me. Took me forever; but once I did I was able to install the tacking program and from his computer I was able to access the networks you guys used to receive your missions from. That was how I was able to get to the school ahead of you a lot of times."

"Un-fucking-believable;" Duo said and laughed. Relena shrugged and pulled up the tracking file to get a more specific reading on Heero's location. There was about fifteen minutes before he landed. Plenty of time to do what she needed.

The two men watched in awe as Relena's fingers flew over the keyboard. Suddenly pictures of him and his blonde girlfriend popped up on the screen. Relena heard a low dangerous sound rumble from behind her. That noise didn't sound even remotely human.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Relena said as she finished her little bomb and reached back to pat Duo's leg. "They'll both about to get their just desserts."

They watched as the little dot moved closer and closer to Dullas International Airspace.

"The plane should be landing now;" she said softly, then her fingers were flying over the keyboard again and a screen popped up of an airport gate.

"Is…is that a live feed to the airport?" Duo asked; Relena nodded.

"Just wait," she said, Duo and Wufei exchanged glances over the blonde girls head. What the hell was she planning?

It didn't take long for people to begin trickling through the gate.

"There," Wufei said, pointing to a couple walking through the gate, "That's them."

"Yep," Relena said, conversationally, "Heading to customs. Have you heard about the new face recognition software they are implementing at airports?"

Duo and Wufei again glanced at each other.

"Of course," Wufei said, "But it's still in its trial phase. Only a couple ports have it."

"Indeed," Relena said, a cold smile pulling her lips, "Dullas International is one of those ports…"

They watched as Heero and his girlfriend moved through the line in customs.

_All of these words whispered in my ear,_  
_Tell a story that I cannot bear to hear,_  
_Just 'cause I said it, it don't mean that I meant it,_  
_People say crazy things,_  
_Just 'cause I said it, don't mean that I meant it,_  
_Just 'cause you heard it,_

"The software scans all of the world databases of their most wanted. It's supposed to help cut down on the number of terrorists who slip through customs using fake names and such." Relena stated.

"Ok…" Wufei asked, "What does that have to do with Yuy? His record is clean. Une cleared all our records after the war."

Relena looked at Wufei and smiled a cold, cruel smile. "Is that a fact…" she purred. Suddenly as if on cue; the sirens and lights went off as Heero moved up in line. A commotion broke out as security personal grabbed Heero.

"What did you do..?" Duo asked as they watched Heero get dragged away. His girlfriend in cuffs behind him.

"I reopened his file." She stated, "Heero Yuy is now on the World Sphere Unified Nation's 10 most wanted terrorists list. And the Earth has one of the harshest punishments for terrorist activity."

Wufei and Duo looked at her, mouths open. A few moments later her phone began ringing. She smiled, "Gimmie a moment guys, I need to take this…"

"Hello?"

"Hello, may I speak to Miss Relena Peacecraft?" a deep baritone voice asked.

"This is she..." Relena replied.

"Hello Miss Peacecraft, this is General Monroe here at Dullas International on Earth. I apologize for the intrusion at such an hour; but I have a gentlemen here who says he knows you and was flashing a Preventer's badge... his name popped up as a security risk. We've tried to get a hold of Commander Une with the Preventer's, but she's unavailable at the moment. This man says he knows you…"

"What's his name General?" Relena asked sweetly.

"A Heero Yuy?" he replied, "Do you know this man, Ma'am?"  
"Sadly," she said, "I met him during the wars. He threatened to kill me on more than one occasion. He's a very dangerous man, General."

"So he's NOT your head of security?" General Monroe said.

"No, absolutely not," Relena stated, "That man has absolutely no association with me; and from what I understand he has no affiliation with the Preventer's either."

"Thank you Miss Peacecraft that's all I wanted to know," there was a significant pause where in the background she could heard Heero shouting.

"You have a wonderful evening, General." Relena said pleasantly and hung up.

"You lied about not knowing him," Duo said, she glanced at him.

"No I didn't," she replied, "Every last word I said was true. We did meet during the war, he did threaten me, he is a dangerous man and; as of…oh four hours ago, Heero Yuy is no long my head of security and he has no affiliation with me, and he's NOT a Preventer. Besides Duo, YOU'RE the one that doesn't lie. I have no such qualms when the need calls for it.

_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_  
_Rumour has it, rumour,_

"Eventually they'll get a hold of Une," Duo said, "and she'll probably bail him out."

"Une is currently sitting on a private beach in the middle of the Caribbean. She didn't take her phone or her computer. She's enjoying a nice vacation with a hot little number she met at one of the conferences. She won't be back for another month. A month is a looong time to be held at Guantanamo as a suspected terrorist" Relena stated.

Wufei shook his head and grinned, "Have you no honor, woman," he teased.

She grinned back, "You're the one who has a thing with Honor and Justice."

"Thought you were a pacifist?" Duo said, grinning as well. Relena leaned back and shrugged,

"No, I'm a politician who promotes total pacifism. I didn't get where I am today by letting people walk all over me. I got here by being smart and playing to my advantages. Heero should have remembered who he was dealing with. Now he has to reap what he sowed."

"Hell hath no fury, like a woman scorned," Duo said with a grin. Relena nodded.

"Something like that."

"What about the girl?" Wufei asked, "I hate to ask, but other than dating Heero she's done nothing wrong."

"Nothing will happen to her," Relena said, "Her name isn't on the list. At most she'll be held for questioning. Perhaps a full body cavity search. But that's it. Maybe it'll teach her to not get involved with married men."

Duo started laughing, "Brilliant 'Lena," he said.

"So," Wufei said softly to Duo, "what do you think? Can we keep her?"

Duo laughed softly and leaned down to wrap his arms around Relena's shoulders. His breath tickled her ear.

"What do you think, princess," Duo whispered, "Think you might want to be kept?"

Relena blushed and glanced at Duo; she felt a smile tug at her lips.

"I think I'd like to give it a try," she replied softly.

Duo took her hand and tugged her toward the bed.

"C'mon princess," he said, "Let's celebrate your victory,"

"Our victory, Duo," she replied softly, "Our victory."

_But rumour has it he's the one I'm leaving you for._

__Alright... what do you think? I'm not sure why my muse took it in this particular direction. I tried a a couple different variations and it just wasn't working. This was how the muse wanted to finish this story. I had initially intended for some 2x5 goodness... but for some strange reason it turned into 2x5xR. *shrug* Idk... in any case I hope ya'll like it.

The song is Rumor Has It by Adele

And so concludes The Voice. Though I rather like where this is going; so I might make a companion story to it. I'm not sure yet. Kinda depends.

Please Review. And I hope you enjoyed.

~Nyx


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or the G-boys... wish I did. Sadly I don't. I still only have ravenous blood-sucking dust bunnies...so I wouldn't recommend sueing.

All reviews are welcome. However, flames will be laughed at. If you don't like my work, thats fine... then give me an honest critique. If you're just going to tell me how lousy it is... just go away and don't bother.

The Voice

Chapter 5

Laughter and the gently click of glasses echoed in the conference hall as all the dignitaries from the Earth and Colonies mingled together for the Annual Midsummer's Eve party. The party was held on the Earth every summer and everyone who was anyone was invited. It was the ideal time to rub elbows with other influential people and form alliances. Personally Relena HATED it. She came out of necessity rather than want. As the 'Vice Foreign Minister' she was expected to attend all these irritating functions and make nice with all the other dignitaries who, for one night out of the years, slipped on their pleasant diplomat masks and pretended to be nice people for a few hours. She especially hated this particular event since the benefactor, a Mr. Wayne Wright, or something; insisted that all of his guests come in costume and masks. A masquerade ball… what fun. Relena snorted at her own sarcastic thoughts as she moved through the crowd. In a room filled with a couple hundred different people all trying to have a moment of her time…and she still felt completely and utterly alone.

She grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter and resisted the urge to chug the bubbly beverage. In all reality she really didn't care for champagne either; she longed to have a nice cold glass of Pineapple rum and coke… or even one of those colorful slushy mixed drinks that Duo was so good at making.

She sighed, and that led her back to what was really bothering her. She missed the guys. Her relationship with the two ex-Gundam pilots was still so new that the shiny was still there… it had barely even been two months. Yet, as she walked out onto the balcony and looked up at the low hanging bright orange Halloween moon; all she could think about was them.

God she missed them. Was that normal in a relationship this new? She really didn't have any sort of basis for reference. Hell she was surprised Duo and Wufei were still around. She wrinkled her nose at that thought; it sounded so wrong even in her head. Still, the truth of the matter was that she hadn't thought they were going to stay much past that night. She had figured that she would enjoy their company and then use the memories of that wonderful night to keep her warm for months to come. She hadn't expected it to be anything more than a simple one time friends with benefits type of thing. One single night of bliss wrapped in the arms of not just one incredibly HOT man…but two… to chase away the utter despair and loneliness she felt after the incident with Heero. When she kissed Maxwell and Chang on the cheek and bid them good bye the next afternoon… she honestly hadn't expected they would ever come back.

But they had.

Again and again, they had returned to her. Whenever they were on the same colony, which was surprisingly frequently, the ex-pilots sought her out; they took her on dates like she expected normal couples would go on. Dinner and a movie, late night walks in the park, a trip to the circus and the zoo. Simple things that she had never really had a chance to do. Once when the weather was particularly ugly; the three of them cuddled on the couch in Duo and Wufei's apartment and watched a marathon of bad B Zombie movies, which was apparently a weakness of Duo's, until they ended up falling asleep on said couch. She smiled up at the moon; thinking of the water balloon fights, popcorn wars, discussing the 'what if's' of a Zombie Apocalypse. She had had more fun in the last couple months then she could remember ever having. For the first time in her life she felt normal; not Vice Foreign Minister Dorlan, not Queen Relena, not Dorlan's daughter, not a representative of the Sanq Kingdom… no, with Duo and Wufei she was just Relena. She was rapidly falling straight out of 'like' with the two men and headlong into 'Love'… she knew it and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it either.

"Such a pretty lady shouldn't be left unattended," a soft voice said from beside her. Relena jumped and whirled; crouched on the balcony ledge completely shrouded in shadows she could just barely make out a dark figure. The figure tilted its head and the light caught its eyes and made them glow like a cats. Relena felt her heart do an odd flip-flop in her chest and a smile pulled her lips.

She was moving even before the figure climbed down from the banister and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was like being plunged into cool water on a hot day; the very air around him was several degrees cooler. The scent of pine filled her head as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

"Duo…" she breathed, pulling back from him, "You made it…"

Duo pulled away enough so he could look down at her face; he was a good head taller than her and smiled. The majority of his face was covered by a black feathered mask which only emphasized his eyes. Such strange eyes, like seeing a cats eyes in the face of a person. The odd violet ringed amethyst orbs seemed to glow with their own inner fire.

"Of course," he replied, "We wouldn't miss it for the world."

Relena felt another surge of joy; "Wufei made it too?"

Duo smiled at the happiness that suddenly lite Relena's face. She had looked so lonely standing out on the balcony alone. She looked beautiful in her blue and white ball gown and simple golden mask. Duo cupped her cheek and before he really thought about it; pulled her close and caught her lips with his own.

She tasted of sunshine and honey, such a different taste then Wufei, lighter and sweeter. He had meant it to be a simple kiss, just a quick taste… but the kiss deepen until their lips were bruised and Relena's hands had somehow found their way into his hair. They were breathing heavily by the time they parted for air; Duo forced himself to take a set back before he lost all semblance of control and had her up against the wall.

He glanced around; no one seemed to have noticed them.

"Sorry," he muttered, "Got a little carried away."

A cute blush colored Relena's neck and the parts of her face he could see; she smiled at him shyly and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I didn't mind," she replied, "I'm not ashamed of either of you or of what we have."

Warmth spread through Duo's chest and he smiled down at her; amazed at how lucky he had been in the last few months. He held out his arm to her;

"May I have this dance, m'lady," he asked, deepening his voice and doing is best Knight of Camelot impression. Relena laughed and shook her head; taking his hand has he led her onto the dance floor.

Wufei stood off in a corner, sipping his drink and watching Duo lead Relena out onto the dance floor. They made a striking couple, Duo decked out in all black and Relena in an elegant pale ball gown that matched her eyes. The dark Fae king and the golden princess… Wufei snickered at the thought and shook his head. He had been hanging around Duo to long. They couple moved though the crowded dance floor drawing the eyes of the rest of the party-goers. Not that either Relena or Duo noticed; they were completely lost in each other.

"Feeling left out?" A familiar male voice asked beside him. Wufei glanced at the dark haired man beside him.

"Not overly," He replied, "No offense Yuy, but you look like shit."

"Six weeks in Guantanamo will do that to you," he growled; they watched the couple swirl around on the dance floor as the music changed and the tempo increased. Wufei would have to wait until the next song to cut in and take his dance with Relena; there was no way he'd be able to keep up with her during a fast paced song. He just wasn't that good of a dancer. He'd memorized the basics simply because he had to; it was part of his training years ago. But he had never had to apply that knowledge.

"I'd heard that you and Duo had…uh…gotten together…" Heero said; Wufei didn't bother to take his gaze from his lovers.

"If you mean that I'm the one who started picking up the pieces after you shattered his heart…then yea," Wufei snipped.

"And now he's left you for Relena," Heero said with a smirk, "There's gratitude for you."

This time Wufei couldn't help but glance at the Japanese man. He didn't know whether he should smack him; or laugh.

In the end the laugh won out. That laugh caught the attention of both his lovers; their gazes zeroing in on him. Seeing who was standing by him, they both turned and began stalking towards him. Wufei wasn't sure which unnerved him more, being stalked by Duo Maxwell a.k.a. Shinigami… or the predatory gleam that was in Relena's eyes. Heero frowned at him; "Even you can't be so dense," he hissed, "He's sleeping with her…"

Wufei just shook his head and felt a predatory smile of his own curl his lips.

"Is that right?" Wufei said softly, then, leaning closer to Yuy; "Guess what… so am I."

Wufei left the Japanese man stunned, mouth hanging open and he moved to intercept his lovers.

"Everything ok?" Relena asked, her gaze sliding past him briefly to look at Heero then back to him. Wufei smiled as he took her hand and placed it to his lips. "It looks like someone smacked him upside the head with a 2x4."

"Heero is under the impression that Duo and you are sleeping together," Wufei said softly as he pressed his lips to her knuckles then nipped them lightly with his teeth; sweet innocent Relena Peacecraft enjoyed little love bites. Relena flushed a deep red and her breath hitched a bit. He grinned; and continued, "I simply informed him, that Duo wasn't the only one."

If it was possible Relena flushed even darker and a wicked gleam came to her eye. Hm… how many exits were there in this building again? And could they leave without making too much of a stir?

"Cool it Romeo," Duo laughed, clapping Wufei on the back. "Take the Princess for a couple spins around the room while I grab us something to drink."

Wufei bowed deeply, "M'lady…" Relena laughed and took his hand. Duo watched them for a few moments admiring the two. Then turned and moved towards the buffet table to get a couple glasses of punch.

"You look well," Heero said, seeming to have recovered from Wufei's declaration. Duo let his eyes flit over the other man; Heero still looked as good as he ever did. A bit rough now though, his hair was longer and he had lost weight.

"You've had better days," Duo said softly, pouring the drinks.

"Yea, being stuck in Guantanamo on terrorist charges tends to do that," Heero growled, "That was cold even by your standards, Duo."

Duo blinked, and grinned, "Hell, Heero, that wasn't me. I was happy with your bank accounts and my bonfire. I'm not vicious enough to send you there. I mean hell, you may have hurt me, broken my heart… but it wasn't like I didn't know it was coming. So I'm not that pissed with you."

"Bullshit," Heero hissed between his teeth, cobalt eyes flashing, "There are only four people on Earth and the colonies that had the ability to hack our files besides myself. Three of them had better things to do. That only leaves you…you're the only one with motive and ability"

Duo blinked at the other man and made an attempt at containing the laughter that was suddenly bubbling to the surface. The bloody fool really had no clue?! After all that time he spent with Relena he didn't have even an inkling of her talent with computers? He couldn't contain his laughter anymore.

"Oh Heero," Duo laughed, "For someone who's so smart, you can be so damn dumb."

Heero glared at him and Duo could practically see the thought of strangling him flit through Heero's mind. Duo just grinned; double dog daring him to make a move. He didn't of course; Heero rarely made a scene. He didn't like the attention.

"I'm not the only one you've hurt recently with your callousness," Duo said, lowering his voice, "She plays the part well, doesn't she? Sweet little pacifist… but in reality... she not. Reminds me a lot of Quatre actually; all soft and sweet, cotton candy and puppies… 'til you piss 'em off. Then the fangs and claws come out and you see the ruthlessness behind all that fluff. They are politicians after all."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Heero growled. Duo let his gaze find Relena in the crowd. Her and Wufei were smiling and laughing as they moved gracefully around the dance floor. Their presence calmed his darker half; it soothed the savage beast. Yet neither of them is weak; they both had their own demons they dealt with on a regular basis. He nodded his head toward Relena.

"Really Heero," he said, "Think about it. How do you think she always found us? How she always knew where we were going before we did? No matter where we went she was there… how do you think that's possible hm?"

Heero frowned, "Informants I assume,"

Duo shook his head, "That's what I thought too. But if you really think about it; doesn't really make sense. I mean, can you imagine Relena actually ASKING someone to keep tabs on us? We were criminals back then; terrorists. She was already a budding politician. She couldn't afford to have anyone know of her little obsession."

Heero thought about that for a moment and Duo went back to watching his two obsessions.

"Are you trying to tell me that Relena is somehow was responsible for…" Heero paused, but Duo knew what he was asking. He shrugged.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," he stated.

"I don't believe you," Heero said, though to Duo he didn't sound very sure of himself. Wufei and Relena were finishing up their set and we're walking towards them. "I really don't give a rat's ass what you believe, Yuy," Duo replied, "You're no longer my concern. Speaking of which, how is sweet little Kristen?"

Heero glared at him; oooh if looks could kill. Still, he didn't say anything. Duo smirked;

"Baled, hm?" he said with an evil smirk, "Sorry to hear that. It's always hard to find someone who will walk through the fires of Hell with you. Take care of yourself Yuy."

With that, Duo turned and walked off meeting his two lovers and handing them their drinks. As one they moved outside into the garden. The night was still warm from the summer's heat; but compared to the stifling heat inside, it was refreshing.

Relena slide off her mask and let the cool night air leech away some of the heat. She glanced at her two companions and grinned. They had removed their masks as well.

"Gave me one hell of a work out guys," she laughed, "I can't remember the last function where I danced that much."

"Always willing to serve Princess," Duo said lightly; flopping down on the cement bench that circled the gardens water fountain. Wufei sat next to him. Relena just stood there for a minute letting her eyes roam over the two men. Duo's long legs stretched out clad in tight black jeans. Leave it to Duo to find a way to wear jeans to a masquerade ball. And his black silk shirt hung partially open giving a generous view of his sculpted chest. His braid curled across the bench beside him like a thick brown serpent; the monstrousity of hair was well past his hip now. Not that Relena was complaining at all; it was amazing how stimulating having all that silken hair trailing over her in bed felt…

Wufei was equally as heart stoppingly (is that even a word?) handsome. He wasn't as broad across the shoulders or as tall as Duo; he was more compact but no less sculpted. His hair had fallen loose from its tie and hung in his face. She smiled and felt tightness in her chest; she didn't know how long this thing between the three of them would last. But for now she was HOME and she would snatch ever little bit of happiness she could.

"How did you guys get here?" She asked; Duo shrugged.

"Brought the bikes over," he replied, "We didn't have time to rent a car. We didn't want to make you wait too much."

She grinned at him, "And where exactly are these bikes of yours?" she asked, knowing that the two of them appearing on their sleek black Hayabusa's must have been quite the sight for the normally tame valets.

"Around the side of the building," Wufei said, "We didn't want those kids touching our babies." Relena laughed, then walked over and grabbed both men by their shirts and hauled them up.

"Good," she purred, "Then I think it's time for us to leave."

Both Duo and Wufei blinked in shock as they were practically dragged forward.

"Wha…what 'bout your party?" Duo asked. Relena shrugged,

"Last time I checked, no one has ever died because Relena Peacecraft decided to cut out of a party early." She stated, "Besides, it's been nearly a week since I last saw you too… it's time to get home…NOW."

Duo and Wufei exchanged looks and grins then leapt after Relena;

"Whatever you say, Princess," Duo said, as they came around the corner and the shadows dissipated enough to see the two gleaming pieces of Japanese machinery. She settled behind Duo on the bike, gathering her skirt around her has tightly as possible. Then they were off; cars packed the entry way as guessed came and left the building. As they sped past the entrance; Relena waved at Pagan;

"I'll see you at the house Pagan!" she called to the older man; as Duo jumped the curb and weaved around the vehicles lining the driveway.

Pagan looked on as Relena disappeared into the distance. Despite the fact that they were wearing helmets; he knew exactly who the two men were. Rumors would start flying of course; but after that little display he doubted Miss Relena cared much who knew about her relationship with the two ex-pilots. The older man smiled as he walked around and climbed into the Limo; the last couple of months had been the happiest he could ever remember Relena being. He was getting old and frail and knew that he wasn't long for this world; it warmed his old heart to know that she had finally found someone who would take care of her and love her. Well…two someone's.

It was about time that Relena and the other two pilots grabbed a little happiness for themselves rather than always trying to take care of everyone else.

I hope you enjoyed. I'm half asleep as I'm posting this so I hope it posted right. lol.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or the G-boys... wish I did. Sadly I don't. I still only have ravenous blood-sucking dust bunnies...so I wouldn't recommend sueing.

All reviews are welcome. However, flames will be laughed at. If you don't like my work, thats fine... then give me an honest critique. If you're just going to tell me how lousy it is... just go away and don't bother.

The Voice: Chapter 6

Dorothy Catalonia watched her blonde friend as she hummed happily under her breath flipping through a magazine; waiting for the conference to start. Dorothy hadnever seen Relena so happy she was HUMMING before. The woman practically glo…

Dorothy's eyes widened... No way...

_The little minx had sex! O.M.G_. Dorothy thought as her mind began tumbling over possibilities. It wasn't Heero, that shipped had sailed already; but the only personMiss Relena has EVER shown any interest in had been Heero. Not that Dorothy could blame her, he was one FINE specimen of male perfection… all of the Gundam pilots were. And once you had a Gundam pilot a 'normal' person simply would ever do…

That thought made Dorothy pause.

There had been rumors about Miss Relena having relations with her Preventer escorts… Dorothy had initially dismissed the idea because it was public knowledge that Duo Maxwell and Chang, Wufei where a couple. Dorothy didn't think that Miss Relena and those two particular pilots were even friends. Could they have possibly asked her to join them?

_No…_ Dorothy discarded the idea,

She approached her friend and watched as Relena fiddled with her new necklace. It was an odd piece for Miss Relena to wear now that Dorothy got a look at it. It was comprised of alternating long black beads and small glittery red ones; it had an almost Native American feel to it. Then there was the pendant; a silver cross with a dragon wrapped around it. It looked like something Maxwell would wear…

Dorothy looked at the necklace then to the happy humming face of Relena, then back down at the pendant.

_No way_…Dorothy thought, she wouldn't have thought Miss Relena had it in her to have a ménage à trois. Though… if you have had one Gundam pilot why not two?

Only one way to find out.

"You seem to be in a ridiculously good mood for someone going in to play mediator, Miss Relena;" Dorothy said, sinking down into the chair next to her.

"Hm? Oh hello Dorothy," Relena said giving her a brilliant smile; "I'm sorry I didn't see you come in…"

"I can see that," Dorothy muttered then, "Sooo…who is it?"

"Who is what?" Relena replied, her mind still not fully engaged to the conversation.

"Whoever it is that has you daydreaming and sighing like a school girl," Dorothy said with a smirk, "I'm guessing the same person who gave you that necklace."

Relena blinked and glanced down at where she was absently rubbing the back of the pendant. She blushed and moved her hand back to her lap.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" she hedged, "It was just a gift from a friend…"

"Uh huh," Dorothy replied, quirking one white-gold eyebrow upward; she leaned forward and whispered, "You're so full of it! You have the happy glow of a woman who is well sated and I know for a fact that whoever it is it wasn't Yuy… so spill! Who's your new toy?"

"They're not toys Dorothy, they're men…" Relena said giving her friend a drole look.

"Ah, so it's a 'they' then, Miss Relena! I'm surprised at you…" Dorothy teased. Relena blushed, heat creeping down her face and neck.

"It's not… I mean…They aren't...uh…" Relena floundered; Dorothy laughed at her friend's reaction. She had managed to make the Politian speechless!

"Alright, Miss Relena," Dorothy said, leaning close, "Spill…"

"Fiiine," Relena sighed, "Well...it is…"

Suddenly there was a commotion outside and they heard the distinct sound of gunfire. Both women leapt to their feet as the door was kicked in.

Relena watched in stunned silence as a flashback from the wars poured into the room, guns drawn and pointed at them both. Relena saw Dorothy's hand inching toward the gun she knew was hidden under the woman's dress blazer. Quickly she stepped in front of Dorothy, briefly meeting the other girls pale gaze and giving a small shake of her head before she turned, head held high.

"What is the meaning of this," Relena demanded, drawing herself up to her full height and gathering every bit of dignity she had around her like a cloak.

"Ah, Vice Foreign Minister Peacecraft," A woman said walking into the room; she was a tall, leggy, woman with skin like mocha. There was a cold gleam in her dark eyes that reminded her of Une on one of her bad days. "I'm so pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I'm sure you are," Dorothy growled coming forward, "Funny way of showing it, most people would think that meeting a pacifist like Miss Relena they wouldn't

introduce themselves with pointing a dozen guns at her. It's considered tacky…"

Dark eyes narrowed and that was the only warning they had before one of the soldiers stepped forward and slammed the butt of his rifle into Dorothy's chin. Relena watched in horror as Dorothy staggered backwards. She caught herself before she actually hit the floor; spots of red spattered the carpet beneath her. She shook her head and a moment later spat something across the floor. Relena winced; it was a tooth… they had freaking knocked a tooth loose. Dorothy turned and glared at the woman; wiping blood from her lips on the back of her sleeve, leaving a streak of crimson on the tan fabric.

"Now, I trust there will be no more smartass remarks from you Miss Catalonia;" the woman said with a vicious smirk; Dorothy spat blood on her shoe. The woman lashed out with her foot and Dorothy fell backward, and this time she didn't get up.

Relena closed her eyes at the sickening sound of boot connecting with flesh. Defiant to the end, that was Dorothy; the woman needed to learn to filter her mouth though, not everyone found her as entertaining as Relena did.

She looked up and glared at the woman; "That was rather uncalled for don't you think?" Relena stated; refusing to let her worry for her friend slip into her voice.

The woman shrugged, unconcerned; "Allow me to introduce myself; I am Zio leader of the Earth First Revolutionaries."

Relena pursed her lips as that small ball of dread in the pit of her stomach seemed to solidify.

"This conference, this colony, is under my control;" Zio said, "The colonies are a blight sapping the natural resources from the Earth, we want all the ports to

Earth closed. And we are going to hold this colony hostage until all communication and contact between the Earth and colonies is neutralized; and YOU Vice Foreign Minister are going to be the one to state our demands."

Relena barely suppressed an irritated sigh. Suddenly her head was pounding. Why the hell did people insist on kidnapping her so she could deliver their retarded messages to the world? Surely there had to be someone better suited then her? Some movie star maybe?

_Shit…_ She swore mentally, _the guys are going to be so pissed…_

Commander Une and Sally Po sat in the MTAC room speaking with officials from the L1 quadrant. They had lost contact with the agents they had on the colony overseeing the Unified Nation's conference. All of the world leaders from both Earth and the Colonies were at that conference. This was a political nightmare in the making.

"Do we know for certain that something's happened?" Sally asked Noin, The dark haired woman nodded;

"There has been evidence of skirmishes and a fire fight;" Noin stated, "and all the doors have been sealed. We haven't been able to confirm the group's identity…"

Suddenly the MTAC door slammed open with a thunderous BANG and one Duo Maxwell stormed into the once secure room, his partner Chang, Wufei a step behind them. The lights flickered overhead and dimmed. One of the agents assigned to keep the room secure stepped in front of the two murderous ex-pilots. Duo glanced at the agent; who suddenly was thrown into the wall with enough force to crack the plaster. Une blinked; she hadn't even seen ex-pilot move…

Violet eyes pinned her where she sat; seeming to glow in the dim light.

"What's this I hear that we've lost communication with L1?" Duo said softly; his voice cold and deceptively calm.

"We lost communication about an hour ago," Une told him, knowing it was easier to just answer the former pilot. Telling him it was none of his concern was just more hassle then it was worth. She waved away the guards who came running into the room. She wasn't sure how Duo and Wufei managed to get into the MTAC room when it nwas supposed to be secure; but this was Duo Maxwell, the man could break into Heaven if he wanted to.

Of all the Gundam pilots, Duo was the most volatile; one always had to be wary of what they said to him. The smallest offense could mean that meat tenderizer would mysteriously manifest in the offenders showerhead one night, or their computer would get a virus and be completely wiped clean by little braided reapers…

It was just better to humor the former 02 pilot.

"There's been an incident. We don't know the extent of the damage yet."

The room seemed to get darker, the shadows suddenly menacing; overhead the lights flickered again. Great, she'll have to find out what was wrong with the

electrical in that room. And why was it suddenly so blasted cold.

"What about the conference?" Wufei asked, "Any word on the attendees?"

Une shook her head, "No…"

"Commander!" An agent called from outside, "Call coming in from L1!"

"Put it on screen!" Une snapped, turning and standing in one fluid motion.

The screen flicked on and Relena was shoved roughly in front of the camera. Duo felt his heart skip a beat and a familiar darkness was clawing at his

consciousness. There was a large bruise forming across Relena's cheek as she sent an annoyed look toward someone off camera; she then turned to look at Une.

"Hello Commander," Relena said, trying to keep her voice calm and level. Duo watched her from beyond the range of the camera; someone was going to die a slow and painful death for hurting what was his. All he needed was a name…

"Relena are you injured?" Une demanded, "What's going on?"

"I'm reasonably unharmed…" there was a harsh whispering from beyond the camera. Relena closed her eyes but not before Duo saw the flash of irritation in them.

"I am here to inform you that the Earth First Revolutionaries have taken over the L1 colony. They have locked down all the systems and the doors; no one will be getting in or leaving. They have 50 tons of explosives placed around the core of the colony and in twenty-four hours if their demands are not met… then they will destroy the colony with all of us on it. Their demands are thus: the closing of all spaceports on Earth, the Unified Nation is to be dissolved. All transportation between the colonies and Earth will cease. All imports and exports between the colonies will cease. All communication of any kind between the Earth and colonies will cease. The colonies are a…" Relena narrowed her eyes at something off screen, "blip?" there was a harsh sound from off camera, then; "BLIGHT," she corrected, "My sincerest apologies," her voice dripped with sarcasm. She continued, "The colonies are BLIGHT on the Earth, consuming her natural resources; and will no longer be tolerated…"

This time Relena couldn't seem to suppress her irritation and contempt; "For the love of all that is Holy," Relena snapped, "You want me to read this trash?"

A woman moved on screen and backhanded Relena. Duo let out an involuntary snarl and moved forward. Relena said something in a soft lyrical language; Une watched in stunned silence as Duo froze. He strained forward like a dog eager for the attack. The woman looked from Relena to the now visible Duo and back again; a cold smile curved her lips.

"Oh how sweet," she purred, "You're Lover."

Une glanced at Duo, surprised, there had been rumors but no one had given them any credit since it was obvious that he and Wufei were involved. The braided man didn't say a word; just stared intently at the woman; murder in his amethyst eyes. She glanced at Wufei, still hidden in the shadows beyond the camera range; he too watched the woman with intensity and barely contained violence that she hadn't seen since the wars. No scratch that; even then she hadn't seen the two pilots radiate such violence. Back then, they had been reluctant to fight… at the moment it was almost like they were eager to hurt something.

"Uh...oh…" Sally whispered ever so softly beside her. Unlike the others, she had picked up on the relationship between Duo, Wufei and Relena. She knew from experience how violent Maxwell could get when he was protecting something he cared for. Entire bases had been leveled during the war because Heero had gotten hurt… And Wufei… look at the destruction he had wrought during the war as revenge for his wife and colony? Sally couldn't think of any of the pilots who would be worse to piss off… well other than Quatre. She still wasn't quite sure if that man was completely sane.

"Listen up, Lover Boy," the woman said, a cruel smile on her face, "Get those UN bitches to agree to our demands or I'm going to slowly carve up your girlfriend in front of the entire world. Got it?"

Duo smiled a cold cruel smile; more a barring of teeth then a smile. He didn't bother to answer the woman's threat. There was no need. He knew her face now. He had his prey. She was dead. She just didn't realize it yet.

Instead he looked past her to Relena; who had risen to her feet. Blood was smeared across her face from a split lip. The bitch would pay for every drop of blood she'd spilt.

"I'll be there soon," he said to Relena in his native tongue. Then turned and stalked out of the room, Wufei behind him.

Une and Sally glanced at each other; unsure what Duo had said. It wasn't any language they knew… and between them they knew the majority. It hadn't even sounded remotely familiar. The dark eyed woman blinked and stood there for a few moments after Duo left; unsure what to do when her threat hadn't garnered a response.

"Twenty-four hours, Une" she snapped and ordered the video feed to be cut. She turned to glare at Relena.

"Cute boyfriend," she said, "Very pretty. He better deliver or I will take my displeasure out on you."

Relena smiled at the woman; "If you have any unsettled business, I'd take care of it sooner rather than later, if I were you." She said softly as she was led back to her cell.

Zio didn't bother to look at Relena as she opened the cell doors, "And why's that?"

"Because," Relena said softly, practically whispering in the woman's ear, "In twenty-four hours your name will be in the obituaries."

Dorothy glanced up as Relena was shoved roughly into the holding cell. The woman sported a new split lip and a rapidly coloring bruise on her cheek.

"I could have sworn you were the one that told me not to antagonize our captors, Miss Relena," she said with a sarcastic smirk.

Relena let out a very unlady-like snort.

"You didn't see the bullshit they were trying to make me read. My God Dorothy; I have never seen such tripe! And why in the bloody hell do these whack-jobs keep finding me? Can't they find someone else to deliver they're fucking doomsday speech?!"

Dorothy looked at Relena with wide eyes, a little taken aback by the normally composed woman's sudden outburst.

"What?" Relena growled, seeing Dorothy's bewildered look. Dorothy grinned and shook her head.

"I've never heard you swear," Dorothy said. Relena snorted again;

"Guess Duo's rubbing off on me" she replied.

Dorothy seized the opportunity for a subject change and a chance at a tasty bit of gossip.

"So you've been spending a lot of time with Maxwell have you?" Dorothy said slyly, "Enough that his foul language is rubbing off on you…"

Relena didn't respond, but flushed a pale pink.

"AHA!" Dorothy laughed, "I knew it… you're sleeping with Maxwell! Admit it!"

Relena rolled her eyes up to the ceiling and debated the merits of telling Dorothy anything about her social life. She adored Dorothy but the woman was an avid gossiper. Within an hour of telling her anything it would be spread throughout half the colonies…

Fuck it… it wasn't like she was ashamed of the guys.

"Not just him…" Relena replied, turning to give Dorothy a lecherous grin, "Wufei too."

Don't forget to Review! Hope you enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or the G-boys... wish I did. Sadly I don't. I still only have ravenous blood-sucking dust bunnies...so I wouldn't recommend sueing.

All reviews are welcome. However, flames will be laughed at. If you don't like my work, thats fine... then give me an honest critique. If you're just going to tell me how lousy it is... just go away and don't bother.

The Voice: Chapter 7

Wufei followed behind Duo as his lover glided out of the MTAC room like a wraith from Hell. If the situation wasn't so dire, he'd probably find it hilarious to watch everyone stumbled over themselves to get out of Duo's way. Not surprisingly, word had spread throughout the compound; Shinigami was in the building and the God of Death was on the warpath.

Neither of them needed to return to the apartment for supplies. Duo always carried a couple emergency kits in the lockbox on the back of his truck. Just in case. As they approached the elevator the few employees who hadn't gotten the 'make yourself scarce' memo, scrambled to get out of the way when faced with the cold, icy violet gaze of Shinigami.

That is…all save one…

Yuy stood casually again the elevator; arms crossed, eyes closed, bag at his feet. As they neared, cerulean eyes opened and regarded them briefly as they approached; the elevator call light already glowed by his elbow.

They had been anticipated it seemed.

Shinigami glared at Heero, baring his teeth in an almost animalistic snarl; "She's no longer yours to protect or save."

The elevator chose that moment to chime and the doors slide open. Heero grabbed his bag and stepped on behind his old partner.

"She's not the only one who needs saving;" Heero stated keeping his gaze focused on the doors in front of him.

"We don't need your help," Shinigami growled, and for a moment the elevator seemed to drop in temperature despite the close quarters.

"I don't remember asking," Heero replied, stepping out as the doors once again chimed and slid open. He fell into step beside Wufei; the rest of the trip was made in silence. Wufei wasn't certain why Yuy felt the need to include himself in their rescue efforts; but he wasn't about to refuse the other man's help. He may have made some enormously stupid choices in his love life; but the fact remained he was still Heero fucking Yuy, former Gundam pilot and perfect solider.

Wufei's phone rang as they neared the shuttle port;

"Chang," he answered on the second ring, knowing only one person would be calling him at the moment.

"I've already alerted the port to your arrival. A shuttle is being prepped and you've been given clearance to leave from runway 7."

"Roger that." He replied and ended the call. He relayed the information to the other two pilots and silently let out a breath as one hurtle was crossed. Thank Nataku that Une had taken the initiative and called ahead to make arrangements. Trying to get through the busy terminal would have been a nightmare. Plus, the three of them were bristling with weapons; even their Preventers clearance wouldn't get them past the first check point with what they had on them.

He'd have really hated to have to inform Une that they had destroyed the shuttle port….again…

As promised a shuttle was prepped and ready on runway 7 when they arrived ten minutes later. Another five minutes and they were blasting down the runway and rocketing into space. The trip to L1 wasn't long, twelve hours by commercial flight; but with Duo behind the controls… the trip would be over in a fraction the time. Once they were clear of Earth's atmosphere and lined up with the colony; Duo put the shuttle on autopilot and slipped into the back to begin pulling things out of the four bags they had grabbed from his truck. Three of the four bags contained weapons. The fourth contained one of Maxwell's pride and joys; his own creation, custom made stealth spacesuits. Of all the pilots Trowa and Duo were the best at infiltration; Trowa however was a chameleon able to become anybody and infiltrate an organization from the inside. Duo on the other hand; was an expert at getting into and out of places that were deemed impenetrable.

Duo silently handed them each a black spacesuit very similar to the ones they use to use while piloting the gundams back in the war. However, these suits were Duo's own creation… created expressly for the purpose of infiltration. Using the stealth cloaking technology from his gundam Deathscyth; Duo had created suits that when activated rendered the user invisible and virtually undetectable by enemy scanners. Wufei hadn't realized that he had made more then one set.

Seeing his inquiring look Duo grinned; "I got bored the last time you were on assignment and Relena was off planet."

Wufei grinned back; he remembered that trip. Duo had been left more or less alone for nearly two weeks. He had been surprised when he returned home and found the vehicles and house in one peace. Heaven forbid Duo get bored. He had a bad habit of taking things apart to 'upgrade' them. Last time he did that he somehow managed to make it where his truck could use rocket fuel… Wufei ended up having to call in a contractor to repair the entire right wing of Relena's mansion. He is still amazed that Duo lived through that experience; he was sure Relena was going to murder him.

Nine hours and forty minutes into the twenty-four hour limit the warning sirens went off within the cockpit signaling their arrival. Moments later the same woman's face as before appeared on their screen.

She laughed, "Hello again lover boy, come to attempt to rescue your princess?"

When it became obvious Duo wasn't going to speak; Heero moved in front of the camera,

"This is Special Agent Heero Yuy, this is your first and final warning;" he said, his voice cold, "Release your hostages and cease and desist any violence you have intended for the colony."

"Oooh," the woman purred, "Another cutie, though you're not as exotic looking as the long haired one. Are you another of the princess's boy toys?"

"I repeat, last chance… lay down your arms or we will use deadly force."

The woman on screen snorted; "Please, you can't get in here and you wouldn't risk firing upon this establishment with Relena inside."

Behind her, off camera there was a sudden bark of laughter that was quickly muffled; beside him Duo let out a sharp cough that sounded suspiciously like a smothered laugh.

Obviously this lady didn't know who the hell she was dealing with.

"Mission Accepted." Heero stated; beside him Duo smiled a cold cruel smile and his eyes seemed to glow with malevolent violet light.

"Be seeing you soon," he purred, seconds before the screen went black.

Inside the colony Zio snarled with rage as she felt a shutter of unease slither down her spine. Who the hell were these kids? They barely looked like they were out of high school; how the hell did they get there so fast anyway? She turned to where Relena Peacecraft-Dorlan and her associate Dorothy Catalonia sat. Dorothy sported a new split lip; she glared at the blonde woman.

"Why did you laugh," she asked; pale blue eyes regarded her with the same coolness as the man's with the messy brown hair.

"Because you obviously don't know your history," Dorothy replied with a smug smirk "and you obviously have no idea who you were just talking to. You should have surrendered."

Zio backhanded the woman again; but it did nothing to remove the smirk from Catalonia's face, nor the smug expression from Relena's either. Fine. See how smug they are when they watch their would-be rescuers be blown from the sky!

"Activate all beam cannons," she shouted, "Target the approaching shuttle! FIRE!"

Relena felt the bottom drop out of her stomach as they watched yellow cannon fire streak toward the approaching shuttle. The craft kept a steady course not even attempting to maneuver out of the way of the fire. As round after round slammed into the approaching shuttle; Relena watched in horror as it exploded into a ball of fire.

For a moment her heart seemed to shutter to a stop, tears filled her eyes and a scream lodged in her throat. No, they couldn't be gone… they just couldn't. Why hadn't they moved? Duo and Heero were both amazing pilots; it wasn't like them to just LET someone shoot them…unless…

Relena blinked as her brain finally kick started again. There's no way in hell the guys would allow their shuttle to be destroyed unless they had a reason for it. She glanced at Dorothy who smirked; apparently she had come to the same conclusion.

"They're alive," she said, Relena returned the smile;

"You know it," Relena said softly," 'Fei wouldn't allow them to destroy a perfectly good ship without a reason."

Dorothy grinned, "Yea, especially since he's the one who would have to do the paperwork."

"Check the rubble," Zio snapped, missing the soft exchange behind her, "Bring me the heads, or whatever is left."

She turned to her two captives with a smug grin fully expecting to see the two women in tears. Instead two sets of blue eyes regarded her and both wore identical smug smiles on their faces. Zio felt her own smile falter; she recovered quickly though.

"Pretty lame rescue attempt, sweetie," she purred, "Such a pity, they were certainly cuties. What a waste."

Relena smiled at her, actually SMILED at her; "Have you made those last calls yet?" she asked sweetly, "Shinigami never misses an appointment."

Zio glared at the woman in front of her; who the hell was Shinigami? Then the crazy politician began to sing in some creepy sing-song type voice.

"One...two… Shinigami's coming for you…"

The Catalonia woman added her voice to the eerie melody…

"Three…Four… better lock your door…"

"Shut up," Zio growled.

"Five…Six… grab your crucifix…"

"SHUT UP!" Zio screamed

"Seven…eight… better stay up late…"

"I said SHUT UP!" Zio shrieked bringing the butt of her gun down against Dorothy's temple. The blonde slumped to the floor silent. Still Relena just smiled, at her even as Zio raised her arm and she too followed her friend into unconciousness; her voice echoed in the suddenly silent hanger.

"Nine…ten… you'll never be seen again."

Sorry it took so long for another chapter. Life got in the way a bit. I hope you enjoy. Also 10 pts to anyone who knows what the song was based off of LOL.

And as always... please REVIEW!

~Nyx


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